Quetzal Talonscout, the Meteorologist

Character Name: Quetzal Talonscout

Race: Day Avalti

Age: 55

Gender: Whatever fits their mood

Character Description: With the feather pattern of the White Necked Jacobin, they are a vibrant white, blue, and shimmering green coloration. Striking red eyes presented through a set of long, curly, blue feathery locks. Physically a male, they’re at a comfortable 5 feet with a slim, curvy, figure that favors their rear more than their upper body. The shimmering green and white plumage along their body and wings made for a rather spectacular display that could vaguely catch the light and due to their volume and shape it was hard to directly tell them apart from male or female from simple appearance beyond the fact that they were extremely colorful. The natural feathers tended to match well with their favored outfits, often a combination of decorational feathers and beads with light flowing outfits befitting the Avalti style.

Character Occupation: Scout, warrior, and hunter a part of the Avalti people. They are skilled in fletching, smithing, and general survival crafts. All of it matching with their interests of studying the weather and sky, often designing tinkered objects in pursuit of such. A fair amount of work is put forward in understanding the movements of the sky and general forecast, it’s a skill they directly use in their scouting work to warn others of storms before more obvious signs are present. Something valued amongst the Avalti nests that were high up within trees

Character Personality/Traits: A very loose individual, they seem almost lazy and too relaxed when it comes to general day to day. It doesn’t truly betray their interests though, they simply become distracted with having a decent time and enjoying other things around them. They can even be quite bubbly at times, or quite fierce, wearing their emotions on their sleeve as they live within the moment. They lack a lot of reservation with passions or interests, doubling down on some things or completely flipping views on others with almost little reason. Despite this they can still be competent under duress, doing their best to maintain focus during life or death situations. Something they had to refine for their scouting work, or when assisting hunters and others of the nest.

They have a tendency to seem downright manic at times, becoming very excited and seeming ready to bounce off the walls at a moment's notice. Or leap out of a window… Really any excuse to get some air time, it was something they enjoyed especially as an Avalti.

Beyond all of it though they do love making others smile…

Languages: NestSpeech

Character Biography:

Before hatching their nest was taken over by witches, their family lost and unknown they became an orphan before even having their first proper breath. Though to an egg there’s little concern there, little attachment.

The witches of Acaedia who would take over Avalti Nests were particularly cruel at times… They would view and treat them less than people, they were a resource to be used and abused. The young were particularly targeted unfortunately, many being falsely adopted by witches to have their years taken in large bursts over a period of time while others were killed, tortured, and partially drained when captured. It was the difference between a slow, foreboding, death and one that was much faster but no matter what they were both quite cruel and relied on all sorts of trickery to get what they viewed as theirs. Those who fought were harder to deal with, even if they were young, since one had to willingly give their years away to truly be bled dry from one of their most direct sources of life. Therefore eggs that were stolen by witches were quite valuable, ignorant and innocent life that could be manipulated one way or another for another's gain and leave an Avalti youngling to die before they even fully matured to adulthood.

Quetzal was one of such younglings, their egg taken at a young age before it could even hatch and claimed by a powerful witch, according to reports, at least. The still developing Avalti unaware of the cruelty that took place around them, they would have been destined for a life of strange sorrow and confusion where only by luck would they not have to suffer such. And while the Avalti people were a peaceful folk that didn’t mean they lacked ferocity… Talons which would always be working to protect one another as family and their dear history, a key benefit of their people where they kept one another close and guarded when they could so it could not be lost again. So it was that this lost egg was recovered from a lost nest among many others, multiple Avalti children and adults coming back alive to meet with family and loved ones even if many lives were drained and lost. Quetzal was seemingly in the clear as a lucky little egg, though they weren’t simply left untouched in such a delicate state of course.

The witches of Acaedia often did strange things to dehumanize the Avalti people, anything to separate them from what was a respected person, anything to mark them as owned or claimed by dark witchery. It ranged from eating them like livestock, branding, and sometimes, rarely, even marking unhatched eggs in various ways believed to be as pure marks of ownership to specific witches. Though just because it was a repeated action doesn’t mean it wasn’t less shocking or concerning, and so they were when they recovered Quetzal. Still nestled deep within their egg, still growing, they were surprised to find the egg having been carved up in a weirdly unique fashion. Strange markings of swirls and flowing forms that almost looked runic in design were etched just barely along the surface of their egg shell. It was finely done, argued that it could have been finer than a masters work even, and clearly made by one who had practiced on other similar eggs so as to not break them. Done so all other witches would know of their mark and presence, at least that was the consensus among the Avalti.

Thankfully no trace of witchery or magic tainted their form beyond what was done to the outer layer of their egg shell, everyone being examined and tested through various Avalti methods. However they may do such… It wasn’t their first time dealing with strange witches after all. And so they were taken into the care of many, no true mother or father specifically but that didn’t mean they felt neglected. The nest was their family, and when they hatched they were given the name Quetzal by the matron who oversaw most of the children, Tontont Roostkeeper.

She resembled the coloration of a penguin, and kinda had some of the physical roundness of one too. Which also meant her gliding was a tad lackluster, something she was shy about, but she managed fairly well. In fact Tontont was able to keep care of many lost children amongst the Avalti, directly caring for their many needs and delegating family pairings when one came forward or found that perfect fit. It wasn’t a perfect system, but it was backed by the whole nest and so the children tended to have a wild, messy life filled with new faces and many siblings amongst the Nest of the Avalti. Though for Quetzal… Quetzal would not find an immediate pairing at all for a new family to raise them and Tontont grew rather fond of them.

Due to the condition of their egg, it was extremely nerve wracking amongst the nest on if the egg would even hatch to begin with. Let alone the potential of it being weakened and breaking… Such a situation was very dangerous for a hatchling, they needed time and care to develop without any further damage being sustained. To be the matron of lost young ones was to be a Roostkeeper, one who keeps the family, or roost, together so that they can have natural and proper lives as they grow up and integrate within the nest. But for this situation there was more of a connection from her… It wasn’t the first egg she tended to, but Tontont was also one who could not have children of their own. So, after many years of keeping children for others, she decided to keep one for herself once Quetzal hatched from their egg and became their Roostmother.

It was a hectic childhood, and Quetzal was a quiet little fluff ball that was often rather shy. They still played, laughed, and learned with all the others but while others ran they decided to play with clay or nap. Some found them rather lazy because of this, though Tontont was familiar with what they saw. Quetzal enjoyed learning, enjoyed little puzzles and wanted to make things. And despite their outwardly simple appearance the Avalti were a very learned people, with some of the more advanced tinkering to find across the world. Especially when it came to using aurastones for special crafts and unique functions, though that was fairly rare in truth as it was a costly thing. Tontont would do her best to water that seed so he’d grow to be a potential tinker of sorts… That’s what a young Quetzal would often say they wanted as they strutted about with brief bursts of excitement while alone with their mother.

Schooling was a simple matter for the Avalti people as they made a community effort for those wanting to learn specific knowledge or trade skills. A lot of which would require apprenticeships or tutoring, one still had to convince or show aptitude for any work they wanted. For Quetzal, they enjoyed the sheer prospect of meeting others more than anything though… In their teen years, while building efforts to become an official apprentice, they’d make quite a few friends throughout their schooling period. As they grew up from a small child to puberty they slowly did come out of their shell, leaning more towards physical activities and temporary games of sport… During such times they made friends with one of the same age who was reminiscent of the common Cuckoo, her name Tezca. She was a mottled mix of brown, grays, and a dirty sort of white that made for a nice pattern which could remind one of a quilted blanket. Her most notable features being her yellow eyes and her friendship with Quetzal.

Quetzal’s studies were often rather lackluster throughout the majority of their schooling career. While they excelled in early schoolings as a young child they seemed to slow down as subjects became more complicated and their interests more varied. It was extremely difficult to keep them in one place for a long time, and focusing on work for prolonged periods of time was equally difficult for the young bird. Quetzal slowly began the bad habit of skipping scheduled classes in favor of spending time with their friend Tezca and others. She taught them all about unique flying techniques, the perfect spots to watch the sunset, and even rarely helped with some of the work Quetzal had to do for school. Despite interest in physical activities, she herself was trying to become an apprentice to a tinkerer within the nest. Meaning that, to some degree, there was some competition on who would match it first though her approach was very different from Quetzals…

Tezca didn’t struggle nearly as much as they did, in fact they excelled in tinkering and worked towards the creation of advanced locking and balancing mechanisms. It was relatively simple ultimately but impressive for a teen, meanwhile Quetzal’s focus was far more abstract. To them it was almost a game… They made basic aerial devices, mere toys designed to fall with style with no true purpose beyond amusement as they worked to study the winds more than anything. They loved flying after all, so it’d began to burrow as a thought far in the back of their mind while maneuvering through the air. Nothing fully understood at the moment, but groundwork was the most important thing for a growing Avalti tinkerer. It just wasn’t all too practical, unfortunately…

And as years went on, and studying was furthered Quetzal would lose out on a proper apprenticeship ultimately. At least towards the one they wanted to apprentice with… It was never one solid option, but it was always about that ultimate goal they wished for. Unfortunately their craft hadn’t grown or expanded in the proper methods that were wanted beyond toymakers and those who designed curios. And what was worse is that their friend Tezca ultimately got exactly where they wanted, it felt almost like betrayal to see such a friend go off towards their own dream though that was a failing on Quetzal more than anything. Even more so as they verbally attacked and called them out for their victory. Liar, cheater, it was wrong at the time but they;re an emotional bird, and still quite young. For many such failures can hurt more than other simpler, more physical, pains so they decided to take up a different approach for their apprenticeship almost in spite of their past friend. Seemingly cutting ties from then on.

They became a Talonscout of the nest, learning to move through the trees, hunt, and watch for oncoming storms so the nest could be properly warned of grand storms. It was a curious passion that, on the outside, seemed ultimately separate from the many years they spent studying tinkering and crafting for the sake of a more leisurely position. Many weren’t fond of risking their lives either, and scouts assisted with both watching and hunting where they could. That’s what it meant to be a Talonscout at least. Though Quetzal saw an interesting angle amongst this field… Their time spent so much more higher up in the trees, it allowed them to learn more about the sky above. The sky holds many curiosities beyond the stars alone, the patterns of the wind and weather making for an interesting study for them.

Amongst Quetzal’s duties as a young Talonscout, they’d study the happenings of weather more than anything else in fact. Feeling the warmth, the cold, and many strange fluctuations of the winds as they noted multiple types of specific clouds. The types of specific storms and winds… In their free time they’d even still work towards maintaining their craft skills where possible as well, though with less resources than what a true tinkerer of the nest can have of course. Most thought it a funny hobby from a failed attempt at being an apprentice to skilled tinkerer, and it rarely disrupted their work as a Talonscout. Especially as they built up more survival crafts of fletching and bow making. Such work taking quite a while to build up on, Quetzal was lucky to not be at it wholly alone for the most part.

Xochi Talonscout was an Avalti with a pattern of feathers matching the Hoopoe, a beautifully orange and black bird that matched sandy and dry patterns, white and black stripes throughout their form to make a magical sort of appearance. He was Quetzal’s partner for a number of years as well, and would be a positive influence for a fair amount of time as they fought together and more. Quetzal even grew a deep attachment to them over time… One which they planned to eventually act on so that they could come together fully, and with recognition amongst the nest. By no means a simple choice, such bonding could even be denied and lead to a rift between two if it went bad. Though there was no reason Quetzal had to think why it wouldn’t work out.

He was even a positive influence on their past… The orange friend helped them overcome past issues and conflicts with childhood friend Tezca, who had yearned for reconnection but feared conflict. Quetzal having hurt them deeply in the past for simply failing to keep pace with them left them in a hurt state, one which they regretted not acting on and instead focused on their apprenticeship. But as a fully realized tinker of their own, they still thought back onto before with hurt, a long time regret at how things turned out despite not being the blame. It was something Quetzal regretted too… So Xochi told Quetzal that if they truly cared about such then they should reach out, apologize, and begin rebuilding the bridge of trust between a long time spurned friendship from so long ago. Which was why it was shocking when things turned out wrong.

Both Tezca and Quetzal found great comfort amongst each other, and old passions were reignited at her talk of tinkering and mentions of their childhood shenanigans. It was a very awkward talk at first, hard not to consider how they hadn’t spoken with one another in literally years. Though once the ice was chipped away there was great comfort… A rare occurrence happened where two friends come together once again to learn and experience one another, even if they hadn’t talked it’s not like they weren’t friends anymore after all. Quetzal found interest in having another to speak with tinkering on, while Tezca gained excitement from getting to hear of their hunts and exploits as a Talonscout. The mentions of their attempts and efforts towards romance with Xochi mixing in as well for a surprisingly lovely reunion, though with one reunion coming forward a separation came forth as that’d be the last time Quetzal would speak with Xochi.

It was not often that disaster struck Avalti nests though it came in a number of various ways that most were familiar with. Though the worst amongst them all, greater than any storm or gigantic beast, was that of the witches striking out once again. They were recognized as a small group over all, but had strange magics, abilities, and trickery up their sleeves that made them formidable foes. And that was a day where their nest was overrun by witchery… Like an all out war the nest that was once a home burnt and thrashed with violence afoot, various Avalti being lost in battle and kidnapped by witches led to a painful day and memory. One of great confusion when learned that there was an Avalti who apparently betrayed the nest, betrayed their people to help the witches. Quetzal, not having seen the exact betrayal, heard reports as those of the nest retreated and regrouped to defend and flee. Reports stating that the one they loved, the one they had planned to bond with, was in fact someone set out to betray.

Xochi, now believed to have been an alias, was confirmed by multiple higher ups to have assisted the attacking witches directly. Their inside influence being one of the major reasons why the witches were able to assault this nest so successfully. Quetzal did not understand it, no one did… An Avalti helping out witches made little sense, after all as the Avalti people were not but food for them. It was vaguely similar to having a cow slaughter other cattle for the sake of feeding human farmers. To them the witches which planned such attacks could never see Avalti as more than that… And Xochi was no different amongst the witches. For over three thousand years the witches and Avalti have been at a back and forth conflict ranging from all out war to terroristic strikes against the Avalti population. Many are killed, captured, tortured, and worse… Xochi was one of the many Avalti taken by a witch before they even hatched from their egg. Usually such was an investment for them, to raise an ignorant slave that would willingly offer their life away without understanding the gravity till they simply up and died from loss of time. Though witches are crafty, patient, and love making investments towards net gains of years.

Raised directly by witches as something lesser than a slave, the witch who raised them did not directly steal their lifespan. Instead concocting a plan for something more, a way to have one life give the worth of many through rather brutal means. Xochi was trained, conditioned, and hexed in various ways to make it so they could not remember specifics of their past or interactions with witches. They were a nobody, put to sleep and planted into a healthy Avalti nest until a specific time came. The tasks they did were at times without them realizing, subconscious actions and thoughts throughout their day that made them the perfect spy. And once the proper condition was fully met that training came forward like instinct so that they’d practically let the witches simply walk right into the nest. It was… A brutal thing, one which was not fully understood by the others. After all, how could an Avalti betray their own people, their own family? For Quetzal it was their final straw for living in the Nest with comfort. How could they trust another if even someone so close could betray them?

Both Tezca and Quetzal stayed in touch for a while after but communication became more distant once again over the next few years, not overtly harsh or violent but simply distant. She learned what he had meant to them after all, that it was not an easy thing to get over or even talk about so she’d reach out to simply be a friend for the most part. Present and there for a bird down in the dumps. Quetzal themselves found their scouting to become more slower paced, not as common as it once was before. They looked towards those distractions of brief joys and momentary highs as they essentially partied and danced about with others, often taking part in the Avalti equivalent of brothels. It was not a very productive time, though the added assistance with preparing and planning festivals or happy gatherings was something new and different to do. The never-sleeping Avalti people were known for their celebrations and festivities after all, so it was something that could always find work without full dedication truly required beyond those who truly led those efforts. Such events, even though they were never truly personal to Quetzal, allowed them to slowly cope with it all despite it not always being the healthiest option.

It ultimately became a temporary escape of course… The only true peace offered during moments away from it all along their scouting, there was some peace in nature after all. Not that they minded the worried talks with Tezca and Tonton, those two practically joining up to some degree to ruffle their feathers in concern at times. Days began to blend together and feel repetitive, after such a period of time Acaedia began to feel small. A dreadful sensation would ruffle their feathers as they felt a pull for something else, an almost unnatural sensation which affected them to the point that Quetzal felt unrest within their own home. Though the exact reason was unclear, they felt certain that there had to be more to life than this. More to their goals, their dreams… There was only so much an island could ultimately hold after all so with permission they’d plan to go somewhere new. The clearest option was that of Saphriel, given the Avalti people’s plan there it seemed like the most organic choice. And if it was a land worth moving towards maybe it was one worth learning from too. So with approval given from other Talonscouts, their Roostmother, and even friend Tezca they’d go off to find more. Quetzal’s adopted Roostmother, Tontont, even offered them a charm of good luck and reminder of home, a leather necklace with a pristine white amulet supported against a leather backing… It was a piece of their egg, a reminder of trials to be overcome and where they came from. How even through bad deeds good things can sprout forward to flourish and grow.

Whether to further their studies, skills as a Talonscout, or come to terms with what happened in the past, it was uncertain what they’d accomplish, but they felt that pull and eventually made their way to the human city of Falkvard. Tezca did not approve of their lack of preparation but still gave them well wishings.

Starting Item:

Porcelain Swirls

An old necklace made from mostly leather with an ornate white amulet held at its centerpiece. That presented portion was an odd material of flowing waves and curls of smoke carved into something seemingly porcelain. The texture was pristine and smooth, being cool to the touch it could remind one of marble or ivory though it was definitely different. An observant eye would note the similarity in texture to that of an egg shell, though it’d need to be quite large if that was the case.

Bird/feather References:

Quetzal- They are based around the White Necked jacobin

Tontont- She is based around the King Penguin

Tezca- She is based around the Common Cuckoo

Xochi- He is based around the Hoopoe

Magic Biography:

As a member of the Avalti people they’re deeply connected towards the magic of Bothimir, being able to cast natural wind magic from a young age. They’d learn of it from their Roostmother Tontont who’d walk them through the methods of casting and what magic was like when at proper age. The motherly figure having spent her time going over it with them and presenting different methods of practice… It was common for Avalti toys to often help train such, a very simple one that Quetzal played with was a miniature kite-like object attached to some string. Too small for actual kiting, it allowed one to practice medium magic and control of simple light breezes… Simple yet effective.

Growing up with such magic, they’d not be the most proficient student in truth… At times becoming very proficient, and at times completely forgetting about even practicing. Not that they didn’t want to, or anything, it was simply difficult for them to find ample applications in their work with medium wind magic. That and they did get a little envious of those who had special trinkets for such that held higher levels of various aspects.

Ultimately it was something that they wanted to go into but didn’t feel like they had the best opportunity… Not that it stopped them from playing with it of course, floating feathers along a breeze into someone's face or similar. It was simply just something they didn’t explore beyond this. At the very least it did function as inspiration for different kinds of fun little toys and tinkered knick knacks that they could have made throughout their tinkering experience.

Please describe the magic system, including its limitations in your own words:

Bothimir magic is one that not everyone has access to and is based on their race. Some races have either a high likelihood to be born with it, a high amount of aspects available to them, and limited natural casting while others have little to no potential for such. Traditionally casting requires a trinket, a magical item which is bound to one or more specific aspects and can take many various forms that can be either mundane or fantastical. Once someone with Bothimir’s gift has a trinket they can then train with it up to medium over time and beyond medium if they fully aspect into it. To aspect into a magic is to lock one of your naturally limited aspects so that it can only cast that specific type of magic, and happens once someone casts up to a strong level with a specific aspect. Such training can be done by yourself or faster if with a teacher.

Once someone has a trinket, or some form of casting, they then must pay attention to how one must cast the magic of Bothimir. To cast magic one must see or touch their object/area of focus, some casting even being through skin level contact in the case of barriers or certain effects. They can do this a set amount of times according to their spell slots and natural magic fatigue without immediate risk. This can be increased based on how many aspects one casts and their specific levels. Once can still cast magic once they run out of spell slots to cast with, but to do so is to go beyond their natural fatigue and risk instant death.

Finally it is important to note that magic is something that must be maintained in a similar way that a muscle is, and to not have access to one's trinket and neglect practice is to lead to magical decay of one’s level in those specific aspects.

Please describe how you would use a weak trinket with your characters first/only aspect:

A young Quetzal looking to practice and play with magic new to them would start with simply lining up a series of small feathers plucked from their form in a few lines… It was their lines of ants, their lines of soldiers ready to bravely fly out and face against any great foe. The young feathered devil then devises a scenario of some grand battle, some grand attack coming at them from over the horizon. All of the little feathers would have to buckle down and prepare before a weak leveled spell of wind magic that would blow out and against them, a small gust of wind breaking the line amongst the valiant feathers as formation broke and survivors scattered. The casualties were many.